Exercise pedal assembly

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to an exercise device comprising a pedal assembly coupled to a braking device. The exercise device comprises a housing, through which a main transverse axle extends and which is arranged at a height of between 120 and 170 mm from the bearing surface on the ground, the main axle being coupled at either side of the housing to a disc-like plate that supports an eccentric transverse axle, the eccentric axles being orientated in a diametrically opposed manner relative to the main transverse axle, each of the eccentric axles being articulated relative to a connection piece with a pedal formed by a plate that is articulated relative to the connection piece by a pivot that is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the plate in order to allow the plate to move between a horizontal active position and a storage position in which it is folded against the vertical face of the housing, the main axle driving a flywheel received in the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Patent Application PCT/FR2020/051787, filed Oct. 9, 2020, designating the United States of America and published as International Patent Publication WO 2021/069849 A1 on Apr. 15, 2021, which claims the benefit under Article 8 of the Patent Cooperation Treaty to French Patent Application Serial No. FR1911295, filed Oct. 11, 2019.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the field of exercise pedal assemblies. It is known that exercise is important to avoid the risk of heart disease and stroke and, of course, to improve one's quality of life. Several medical studies strongly recommend that older people get about 3 hours of physical activity per week, or about 30 minutes per day.

Pedal assemblies are specially designed to care for the health of sedentary people, who often sit all day at their desk, or in an armchair for older people. The leg movements are natural and do not cause forced postures. Physical exercise promotes the circulatory system and strengthens the bones, increases leg flexibility and arm strength, helps control weight and cholesterol levels, and reduces high blood pressure.

Pedal assemblies are also suitable for rehabilitation after an injury and are very effective in the treatment of arthritis pain. Persons who have undergone operations on their knees or for other injuries find a suitable solution due to their low impact during physical exercise and the ability to adjust the resistance.

More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a small exercise device located under a piece of furniture, the device being controlled by software, running on a general purpose computer, which provides a computerized incentive to continue exercising.

Many types of exercise pedal assemblies are known in the prior art. Two types of mechanisms, those with elliptical motion and those with circular motion, are known.

The elliptical motion solutions allow the circular motion of the cranks to be transformed into an elliptical motion, in order to reduce the “dead” running distance during the rear lift, and to enlarge the length of the crank during the “work” stroke, which reduces the effort. This elliptical motion is imposed on the pedal by the fact that the crank folds back on itself, thus avoiding the amount of unnecessary movement.

Circular motion solutions concern the driving of a flywheel by a pedal assembly ensuring a circular motion, like on a bicycle. The present disclosure relates to this second type of exercise pedal assemblies, and more particularly, circular motion exercise pedal assemblies that may be used under a table or a desk, limiting the extent of the vertical movements of the legs.

BACKGROUND

In the state of the art, for example, International Patent Application Publication WO2009113049 describes an exercise device allowing a user to switch between an elliptical trajectory and a circular trajectory of the pedals. The device comprises two main wheels, each of the wheels being connected to a different pedal, and two connecting rods, the distal end of each connecting rod being connected to each main wheel and the proximal end of each connecting rod being connected to the body of the exercise device. The connecting rods make it possible to move the two main wheels on a horizontal axis. The invention also relates to a mechanism within an exercise device that allows both elliptical and circular motion of a pedal in the exercise device. The mechanism comprises: a main wheel connected to a pedal; a connecting rod connected to the exercise device and to the main wheel. The trajectory of the motion of the pedal is elliptical or circular depending on the element connected to the connecting rod.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,824 describes another example of a limb exercise device comprising an outer wheel housing and an inner wheel assembly in the outer wheel housing. It comprises friction elements arranged between the contact surfaces of the outer wheel housing and the inner wheel, as well as actuating elements arranged in an opposing way on two sides of the inner wheel. The inner wheel may be rotated relative to the outer wheel housing by pushing or pedaling to produce frictional force or resistance and thus helps the user to conveniently perform hand or foot exercise on a desk or on the floor or ground.

Another known solution is disclosed in the Korean Patent Application KR20130094619, which describes a multifunctional upper limb exercise device, and a rehabilitation and muscle strengthening exercise for various upper limb parts, such as the wrist and the shoulder, using a single device, and for adjusting exercise intensity and rotation angle.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,100,640 and 5,860,941, as well as the Chinese Patent Application CN110051974, describe other solutions illustrating the technological background.

The solutions of the prior art do not provide complete satisfaction. To allow use in restricted spaces (under a desk or under a table), elliptical motions are generally favored; however, these are not suitable for long and regular exercise. In particular, International Patent Application Publication WO2009113049 provides a solution in the form of a stationary bicycle with a connecting rod intended for elliptical operation, which involves a large range of motion that is unsuitable for exercising in tight spaces and in any case impossible to use under a desk or table.

The cyclical motion solutions proposed in the prior art require a strong inclination of the legs to reduce the vertical travel, which generates a horizontal thrust component that tends to move the chair away from the pedals. It has been proposed to remedy this problem by attaching the exercise pedal assembly to the chair.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure overcomes these difficulties by proposing an exercise device that can operate under a desk, table, or other piece of furniture providing an effective and non-fatiguing workout. The present disclosure allows a user to concentrate on daily tasks during exercise periods.

For this purpose, the present disclosure, according to its most general meaning, relates to an exercise device comprising a pedal assembly, coupled to a braking device, characterized in that it comprises a housing without a saddle or any other seat through which a main transverse axle passes, arranged at a height of between 120 and 170 millimeters from the support plane on the ground. The axle is coupled on either side of the housing to a disc-like plate carrying an eccentric transverse axle. The eccentric axles are oriented diametrically opposed relative to the main transverse axle. Each of the eccentric axles are articulated relative to a connecting piece with a pedal formed by a plate articulated relative to the connecting piece by a pivot parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plate to allow movement of the plate between a horizontal active position and a storage position where it is folded against the vertical face of the housing. The main axle driving a flywheel is received in the housing.

Preferably, the distance between the main axle and a secondary axle is between 30 and 40 mm, more preferably between 34 and 36 mm.

Advantageously, the housing comprises legs provided with feet, the legs extending transversely relative to the housing.

According to one particular embodiment, the legs are hinged relative to the housing to allow a transverse working position and a storage position where they are aligned with the underside of the housing.

Advantageously, the device comprises a flywheel, which interacts magnetically with a permanent magnet having a distance from the periphery of the flywheel that is adjustable.

According to one variant, the pedals are formed by a hollow shell stiffened by transverse stiffeners and longitudinal stiffeners.

According to a preferred variant, the pedals comprise two uprights provided with a passage for the longitudinal pivot providing articulation relative to the connection piece.

According to a particular embodiment, the flywheel is a cast iron disc, mounted on a cast or injected plastic pulley.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will be better understood on reading the description of a non-limiting embodiment that follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the device according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the device according to the present disclosure without its housing.

FIG. 4 is a three-quarter front view of the device according to the present disclosure without its housing.

FIG. 5 is a view of the mechanism inside the device according to the present disclosure without its housing.

FIG. 6 is an inner view of the plate according to the present disclosure without its housing.

FIG. 7 is a view of the mechanism inside the device according to the present disclosure in a variant embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The exercise device according to the described example of the present disclosure comprises a parallelepiped housing (100) made of plastic, for example, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or glass fiber-filled polyamide, which has two legs (110, 120) on its lower surface pivoting relative to vertical axes (113, 123). It constitutes the casing of a metal frame ensuring the resistance of the drive mechanism of a flywheel (320). It does not comprise a saddle or seat and is intended for use by a person seated on a chair or an ordinary armchair, not forming part of the equipment, which is unlike stationary bicycles, which include a saddle and are therefore not usable under a desk or table and are difficult to transport.

The legs (110, 120) consist of transverse bars made of rigid plastic material, for example, ABS, and have feet (111, 112 and 121, 122) respectively, at their ends. These feet (111, 112 and 121, 122) may be coated with an anti-slip surface. For transport, the legs (110, 120) may be removed to reduce the size by way of a mechanical connection via pins that engage in receiving cavities provided in the inner base of the housing (100) and, if applicable, of the metal frame. Furthermore, the upper part of the housing (100) comprises a handle (101) to facilitate transport.

The device further comprises two plates (200, 250) forming pedals. These plates (200, 250), which have a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners, have a flat support surface partially surrounded by a rim (201, 251) constituting a toe clip.

The plates (200, 250) are articulated relative to a connection piece (210, 260) by a longitudinal pivot, allowing the tilting of each pedal (200, 250) between an active position, where it is in a transverse plane, and a storage position, where it is folded against the side wall of the housing (100).

Each connection piece (210, 260) is mounted on a transverse axle (212, 262) that is eccentric relative to a disc-like plate (301) coupled to a main transverse axle (300) passing through the housing (100).

The distance between the main axle (300) and the support plane on the ground, defined by the lower surfaces of the four feet (111, 112, 121, 122) is between 120 and 170 millimeters and preferably 150 mm±10 mm.

The distance between the main axle (300) and the eccentric axles is 40 mm±10 mm.

These dimensions—reduced when compared to the dimensions observed on state-of-the-art exercise pedal assemblies—allow for smooth, natural motion, with minimal travel in height, which allows for use under a table or a desk, and with a low amplitude of the horizontal component, which reduces the repulsion force of the user's seat.

The main axle (300) drives a flywheel (320) the braking of which is provided by induction by two cylinder heads (321, 322) extending a permanent magnet (323) of which the position is controlled by a knob (324) driving a threaded rod (325) to modify the level of engagement of the cylinder head (321, 322) on the periphery of the wheel (320).

The flywheel (320) is driven by the main axle (300) through a multiplier stage comprising an intermediate wheel (305) and a belt (306). The intermediate wheel (305) in turn drives a wheel (308) coaxial with the axle (300) and the flywheel (320), via a belt (307). The ratio is about 13, typically between 10 and 20.

The flywheel (320) is a cast iron disc, mounted on a cast or injected plastic pulley. It is coupled to an aluminum disc having the function of braking by eddy currents through magnetic interaction with the permanent magnet (323). The flywheel (320) is made of injected plastic, with a cast iron disc added.

A dynamo (330) is driven by the wheel (320) and provides electricity as the wheel (320) rotates.

The mechanism is supported by a metal frame surrounded by the housing (100).

Optionally, the wheel (320) is motorized and controlled remotely, for example, by a smartphone or a tablet, or by the control buttons (102, 103).

Detailed Description of the Plate (200, 250)

The pedal (200, 250) is formed by a hollow shell (245) stiffened by transverse stiffeners (241) and longitudinal stiffeners (242). It comprises two uprights (244, 246) provided with a passage for the longitudinal pivot (247) ensuring the articulation relative to the connection piece (210). These passages have a notch to ensure an indexing of the position of the pedal, between the active position for exercise and the folded position for storage. Locking is carried out by a lug in the deployed position, with a withdrawal toward the outside, then return and locking against the arm by a lug.

An eccentric axle (212) is guided by a transverse bearing of the connection piece (210). It is fixed on a disc-like plate (301) driving the main axle (300).

Wedging Plate for Chair Casters

To prevent the user's efforts from causing his chair to move back and forth when the chair is fitted with casters, the present disclosure provides a transparent polycarbonate plate having a matrix of N×M cutouts of rectangular shape, for example, with rounded corners, 2 to 10 centimeters wide and 5 to 20 centimeters long, with a peripheral edge chamfered to form a beveled edge. The cutouts are spaced a few centimeters apart.

The chair casters, often coupled in pairs, fit into the slots to prevent the wheels from moving back and forth. They may engage in the slots either in the direction of length, or in the direction of width, which makes it possible to wedge the armchair regardless of the orientation of the wheels. The plate has a thickness of a few millimeters and has a means for connecting with the housing (100), for example, two slots capable of cooperating with complementary protrusions provided under the housing (100), for example, under the surface of the feet (111, 112, 121, 122).

Toe Straps

To improve the connection between the shoe and the pedal, the two plates (200, 250) forming the pedals may be provided with straps formed from segments that may be connected by Velcro (trade name) or any other connection means, and passing over the top of the shoe to maintain the connection between the sole and the plate.

Variant with Intermediate Pulley

FIG. 7 shows a variant embodiment. The input pulley (308) drives an intermediate wheel (305), which in turn drives an aluminum braking wheel (320) that may be associated with an inertia mass, and is driven by the main axle (300) via a multiplier stage comprising an intermediate wheel (305) and a belt (306). The intermediate wheel (305) in turn drives a wheel (308) coaxial with the axle (300) and the flywheel (320), via a belt (307); the ratio is approximately 13, typically between 10 and 20.

A dynamo (330) is driven by the wheel (320) and provides electricity as the wheel (320) rotates. 

1. An exercise device, comprising: a housing; a flywheel in the housing; a braking device; a pedal assembly coupled to the braking device, the pedal assembly comprising- a main transverse axle penetrating the housing and configured to drive rotation of the flywheel, the main transverse axle placed at a height between 120 and 170 millimeters from a support plane on a floor, the main transverse axle being coupled on either side of the housing to a disc-like plate bearing an eccentric transverse axle, the eccentric axles being oriented diametrically opposed relative to the main transverse axle, each of the eccentric transverse axles being hinged relative to a connection piece with a pedal formed by one of the disk-like plates hinged relative to the connection piece by a pivot parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plate to allow movement of the plate between a horizontal active position and a storage position where the plate is folded against a vertical face of the housing.
 2. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the distance between the main axle and the eccentric axles is between 30 and 40 mm.
 3. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises legs provided with feet, the legs extending transversely relative to the housing.
 4. The exercise device of claim 3, wherein the legs may be dismantled relative to the housing to reduce bulk during transport and storage.
 5. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the flywheel interacts magnetically with a permanent magnet, wherein the permanent magnet is located a distance from a periphery of the flywheel, and wherein the distance is adjustable.
 6. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the pedals are formed by a hollow shell stiffened by transverse stiffeners and longitudinal stiffeners.
 7. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the pedals comprise two uprights provided with a passage for the longitudinal pivot providing articulation relative to the connecting piece.
 8. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein the flywheel is a cast iron disc mounted on a cast or injected plastic pulley.
 9. The exercise device of claim 1, further comprising a connection plate configured to attach to the housing, and the connection plate having a matrix of N×M elongated cutouts, the connection plate having a beveled peripheral edge.
 10. The exercise device of claim 2, wherein the distance between the main axle and the eccentric axles is between 34 and 36 mm. 